The Best Muscle Building Exercise…If You Had to Pick One
What if there can be only one?
What if you could only pick one exercise, one to build the most muscle mass….one to stimulate the most hormonal responses….one to just master and progress with as the gains keep coming. So what would it be? The squat? Bench press? Tricep kickbacks? (I kid….I kid)
So let’s first define what it does take to increase muscle. How about exercises that do the following:
- Use the major prime movers (compound lifts for the big muscles)
- Stimulating those muscles with enough resistance (keeping reps lower and weights higher)
- Increasing the time under tension of work (greater ROM/slower reps)
- Maximum signaling of muscle building hormones (Testosterone, GH, IGF-1) and limiting the muscle breakdown ones (Cortisol)
- Progression over time with workout (add weight/reps/volume)
- Rest, nutrients and recovery (especially sleep)
So taking all those into account, we are looking for an exercise that uses the most (and biggest muscle), able to lift heavy, bigger ROM (more time under tension) and generates a positive muscle building hormonal response….sounds like that would be a winner!
The best exercise is….
I am going to send this one over the the strength and conditioning expert Charles Poloquin as he talked about his #1 exercise in an interview a couple years back
The snatch-grip deadlift, specifically a snatch deadlift on a four inch platform. The idea here is to get a large range of motion by standing on the platform and using the wide grip.
If you told me you were going to jail and only had a barbell and didn’t want to get raped in the showers and could only do one exercise to put mass and strength on, then I’d tell you to do the snatch deadlift on a platform.
This exercise alone makes people gain weight like crazy. Any time I have someone who needs to gain weight fast and doesn’t have a whole lot of time, I have them do snatch deadlifts. And with the snatch grip deadlift, straps are okay because you’ll be doing reps above three, but don’t use them until you get to your working weight.
If you think about it, this is the opposite of the sumo deadlift, which shortens the range of motion. Likewise, some powerlifters will lift in ballet shoes to shorten the ROM. What we want to do here is lengthen it. The snatch grip and platform will take care of that.
interview from tnation.com
How to perform: In the starting position, feet are shoulder width apart. Grip is wider than usual like done with a snatch lift, except that you can use standard or over-under hook style (above). Knees, chest and shoulders over bar and retracted shoulder blades. Lower back is always kept arched. Eyes forward (not down). Now with the upper body tight, start the lift with your legs/back and pull upward. You can go as fast as you like on the way up (explode depending on weight) and then use a slow and controlled movement on the way down to increase the time under tension. Repeat with 3-5 sets of 4-8 reps for optimal size gains (those numbers and sets can also be changed up of course depending on the weight used).
Make it harder: do while standing (just your feet, not the weights) on a 2-4″ elevated platform (talk about an evil exercise that will humble you).
Weights: Start light and progress up till you know your “working” weight for your sets. Charles mentions about using straps, and I suggest you avoid using it until you find your grip failing and want to continue with more sets (as a weak grip will not help to maximally stimulate all your other muscles)
Other Resources: For more info on how to perform deadlift properly check out these resources with a tutorial over at strong lifts on how to perform the deadlift and these videos by Mark Rippetoe (author of Starting Strength)
More bang for your effort
The great thing about the snatch grip deadlift is how it incorporates so many muscles/movements all in one exercise. Look at the benefits:
-
Use a small platform and feel all those muscles work even harder!
Just as deep if not deeper than a squat (especially for those that don’t even get deep enough or have weaker hamstrings)
- Excellent stimulator of posterior chain (power and speed)
- Uses all the back muscles (erectors, lower, lats, traps)
- Increases grip strength
- Provides more ROM and time under tension (growth) than a standard squat or deadlift (especially if you get on a small platform as seen to the right)
- Can also do explosive versions (a full snatch movement – weight lifted overhead)
- Help attack those weaknesses and sticking points (which are usually in the low starting position) for other lifts, while also preventing muscle imbalances (especially the quad:ham ratio that could injure many)
All in all this exercise brings most everything to the table (except maybe more chest/shoulder/pressing strength). While most people may stick to a squat (or their limited movement version) or a less than optimal deadlift form….getting nice and low with the snatch grip DL will ensure full ROM, working/blasting through sticking points (that will carry to other movements) and the most “bang for your buck” in a full body movement.
Reminder that hormones DO matter
Here’s an additional thing to remember in your muscle building quest, about how important your hormones are. If you think it’s just about isolating muscles and drinking lots of protein shakes, you have been sadly mislead by mainstream media (and all the supplement companies). Hormones play a vital role in the building (and maintaining) of muscle.
Here’s a great example in a study in which groups of men ages 19-40 years old were given either 600mg testosterone or a placebo each week, and then those groups were also divided up into ones that did no exercise and those that trained 3x a week. The results may surprise you:
The men treated with testosterone but no exercise had an increase of 3.2 kg in fat-free mass, and those in the placebo-plus-exercise group had an increase of 1.9 kg.
from: The Effects of Supraphysiologic Doses of Testosterone on Muscle Size and Strength in Normal Men; Shalender Bhasin, M.D., Thomas W. Storer, Ph.D.
The group that was sedentary and had testosterone had almost DOUBLE the lean mass gain than the placebo group that worked out! So still think it’s all about working out or are hormones a bit more important now?
Take home point….the snatch grip DL is going to be a great natural stimulator of testosterone, unlike those people on the machines isolating muscles all the time.
Burn Fat as Well!
If your goal is more weight loss than bulk, this exercise is also a great addition to ramp up those fat burning hormones. Yes women….don’t worry about bulking up and add this exercise into your workouts as well. Get the reps a little higher (8-10), keep the volume high (add a superset with another exercise), go explosive, slow and controlled on the way down, and enjoy that full body lactic burn that is increasing your GH output with every lift! (and we all know GH is a vital hormone in signaling the release of fat from storage).
Now go try it…and enjoy the pain, I mean results!
So there you have it….the one exercise I (and a little known guy named Charles Poloquin) recommend you add in to your workout programming. Whether you do it more often with varied reps and speed, or work it into an EDT based programming style…it’s all your choice. Of course there are other exercises you can add in after to hit the areas not covered or add in secondary exercises for muscles already used….but this is a true muscle builder.
When it comes to building muscle….know that there is so much more at play as well (hormones), so make sure your lifestyle (nutrition, stress, sleep) supports muscle building and doesn’t take away from your efforts. (If you want more details into all the hormones at play again, I suggest re-reading the muscle building 101 article here.)
Did You Like This?
If you enjoyed this, then join the growing "IF" revolution by signing-up above and get all new articles via email for free! (or via RSS here)
(or get RSS feed here)
When I saw the title of your post, I immediately thought deadlift. But toss in the snatch-grip for explosive growth and the 4-inch elevation?!? Just thinking about this makes me hurt!
The testosterone study is a great reminder. The next question becomes how to keep levels naturally elevated despite the effect of aging…
Greg – Yes, it will hurt….in a good way! As for Test, the same steady rules apply for lifting heavy, eating meat, eating sat/mufa fats, skipping alcohol, getting sleep, eating enough calories, limiting cortisol, etc…..much of all the same pointers I put here:
http://www.fitnessspotlight.com/2008/03/10/building-muscle-101-master-the-basics/
To achieve some of the benefits of using a platform without actually having one, replace any 45lb plates with two 25lb plates. Since the 25lb plates are a couple of inches smaller in diameter, the bar sits closer to the ground, automatically increasing your ROM.
I suppose you could combine this tip WITH the use of a platform and make the exercise even more difficult. Just make sure your fingers will fit between the platform and the bar!
Mike – thanks for this. I do have one question though. What if you don’t have enough flexibility to get that deep without rounding your back? Would you recommend doing this anyway with the idea that the exercise itself will build that flexibility? And should I be going light until that flexibility has been achieved? Or is this for advanced lifters only?
I’m just starting a lifting program after being sedentary for almost 10 years and I want to jump right in, but I am worried about injury. I’m a little overweight but my diet is generally pretty good (lots of good fat, low carb and good amounts of protein).
Thanks to you and Scott for a great site. I really appreciate all the great stuff you guys put out here.
G
I’m curious if there’s ever been a study of deadlifts versus squats comparing their ability to build muscle and stimulate testosterone. I’m not disputing the choice because I know deadlifts are a great compound move but I would think that squats would be the more potent of the two given your body is supporting the weight through the movement.
@Girish: I’m not an expert.
Having said that, if you start light (really, really light. Like, you feel stupid doing these actions because it’s so light) and focus on form before moving up the weight, it should work out. Don’t compromise form for weight, or injury will get you sooner or later. Since you’re starting out from scratch, having been sedentary for a decade you really, really, really need to focus on mastering the forms before you worry about anything else.
@Stephen: I would argue that your body supports the weight either way, since there is nothing else getting that weight off the ground but you.
Alcehmyguy – I realized as soon as I posted I worded it wrong. My point is that during the squat, your body supports the load the entire time whereas in the deadlift you are resting the weight back on the ground, however briefly.
@Stephen: The question then is if static loading makes a significant contribution to muscle growth. That would be interesting to know, although I suspect the answer is that it does not. I’ve backpacked a lot, and standing around with 50lbs on my back is far easier than hiking up the trail. The real work is in the action, not in the bits between the action.
Also, I find I can deadlift far more than I can squat. I wonder if *that* makes a difference in testosterone production and muscle growth.
Ha! I just realized I addressed my response that was meant to go to Girish to Mike. D’oh!
**no problem….took care of it. Mike**
Nice, I read the original a while back, maybe on T Nation. Thanks for reminding me to try these. I DL every Friday per Marks PP Texas Program, will change up grips, get up on short bench, give it a go.
Peace, Love and BBQ
Jay
The one problem that I have with snatch grip DLs/High Pulls is that they are pretty tough on the shoulder due to the high shear force exerted on the humerus.
Trainees with pre-existing AC joint issues are especially prone to this problem.
Switching to a std/sumo grip DL corrects this problem
Because of this, I would vote for std grip DLs as the best muscle building exercise.
If we look at upper body exercises, I would vote for heavy overhead presses
Matt – great idea about the 25s…yes it would give the same effect.
Girish – like said about, form comes first. I look at everything over the long term….as you will be better off in 1-2 years progressing with weights slow and steady….rather than trying to do too much without focus on form and just end up injured a couple months down the road (which then may have you on another hiatus). Work lighter weights with focus on form. Other good flexibility exercises for form include light overhead squats, and my favorite practice one is to do the overhead squat with like a broomstick (or just hands straight up in the air) facing a wall. Stand anywhere 6-12″ away facing the wall and now try and do a full ROM overhead squat….little harder with the wall there (as it will tell you the honest truth about your flexibility). Slowly just work on that little by little and move closer and closer to the wall….you’ll get more flexibility. (or you could also try other things like yoga movements to open up those hips and lengthen the hamstrings and lower back).
Stephen – Not that I know of….but you can’t go wrong with either squats or deadlifts as those are the 2 top test releasing movements. Squats can also have a resting point at the top of the movement (not 100% but still locking out and taking stress off muscles)…if you want to test it, do some squats and only come 85% of the way up (don’t lock out)…and then see if after a few reps those legs aren’t screaming for a break. Also with the deadlift if you want more time under tension, you can slowly lower the weight until it barely touches the floor and go right back up (instead of just dropping and resetting for every lift). Like I said…you really can’t go wrong with any squat or deadlift movement….just for the sake of argument for the article if it has to be only one….I still go with the SGDL for more ROM and also all the other muscles (back, grip, traps) that are being used. Nowadays I also like the DLs just for much less spinal loading/pressure (such as in a squat).
Jay – Yeah the original article was a tnation interview a few years back….I forgot about these as well until recently and then put them back in….ouch to say the least. I’m sure you will see some carry over to improving your other lifts as you are going to be focusing on exploding out of the “hole” much deeper….which is the weakness for many. PS….don’t forget those fruits and veggies!
DR – interesting note on AC injury. To be honest I have 2 completely messed up shoulders from many years of contact sports (they each sit differently and one just floats a bit more) and the SGDL doesn’t seem to be an issue for me. If anything….it forces me more to retract my scapulas and squeeze them, the lats and traps will every pull. But of course…one must take into account their own limitations and train safely. All versions of the DL are great as I like to switch them up as well.
My elbow hurts (golfers elbow) so deadlifts are hurting the bad way. I didn’t do them for 3 months and I really missed them. Just started doing them again (low volume, but that’s no problem. I really hate high rep deadlifts in the first place)
[...] The best single muscle building exercise : Fitness Spotlight [...]
[...] exercises and probably the most effective thing you can do at the gym. They are not only the best muscle building exercise but are superb for strengthening the hamstrings and lower back plus improving posture by enforcing [...]
[...] exercises and probably the most effective thing you can do at the gym. They are not only the best muscle building exercise but are superb for strengthening the hamstrings and lower back plus improving posture by enforcing [...]
[...] best muscle building [...]
[...] The best exercice : se você tivesse que escolher só um exercício para ganhar músculos e força qual seria? A resposta com certeza não é rosca scott. [...]
Long time reader, first time poster…
I recently enrolled in the Tallahassee Fire Academy, which is Mon-Thurs 6-10 pm, and Saturday from 8-5. On top of that I work from 7-4 Mon- Fri. When I started training at the academy (about a month ago), I was 195 pounds with very good body composition (Im 6’2”). Now that my time is severly limited, I havent been able to cook all my meals like I used to, and lifting heavy has been exchanged for running/pushup/situps in amounts that dont require much effort on my part. As such, I have lost around 8 or so pounds that I really would have liked to keep on my frame. My question is what eating schedule would you recommend (Currently I eat a big meal when I get home around 10:15 pm, eat a 9am breakfast and 4pm meal/snack), and are any of those weight gainer/maintenance meal replacement shakes worth a shot? I am going to try to add heavy lifting days friday and sunday back in my schedule, but with the way its been going I’ve using those days to let off steam and relax and recharge for the upcoming week. Thanks in advance for the advice!
Graham
@ Graham – Welcome to the discussion! As you up your activity level, so will your demand for calories of course. I’m not a fan of shakes, only because real food digests slower….I’d say to try and carry more travel ready foods like nuts, seeds, trail mix, beef jerkey, etc. Snack on that more often through out the day….less hassle than trying to carry around meals. Try adding in just one heavy day and focus only on the big lifts like Deadlift especially. Somehow I think most of your weight loss is probably just glycogen and water from excess activity…and not really a ton of muscle.
Great advice, I really appreciate it.
I’m always well stocked with almonds, and I picked up some pumpkin seeds. Any other favorite seed/nut recommendations? I have access to quite a selection at the Market next to my office, but never sure whats worth trying out.
Thanks again.
Great site! One point here though on the deadlift: Anyone suggesting that one should “explode” out of the start should not be in a position to suggest such things to the masses. Only serious injury will result from ballistic type move
Mike OD Reply:
@ Graham – Mix it up…try new things. There is always benefit to varying what you eat.
@ Chris – Of course form is always the #1 importance when it comes to any lift, especially something like the DL (hence all the other links to videos/pages on form for the DL). An explosive/quick lift from the bottom with good form (keeping tight especially upper body from the start) does no harm….but if someone just does it all wrong with bent arms and tries to load up their lower back through the explosion, then they will injure themselves esp as the weight gets heavier. As the weight gets heavier…if you don’t learn how to generate power from the bottom of the lift…not sure how you will get the weight up to the top of the movement without injuring yourself (another reason why I like the wide grip DL…as it “forces” people down into the hole and not try to just lift with their lower back that many do if they started up higher). Hence why powerlifters practice movements like box squats….to generate power out of the “hole”, their weakest spot. Ballistic movements/exercises are not dangerous (otherwise all Oly lifters and any athletic program that uses them such as every Pro and College athletic dept would be full of injured people…which is not true)….only exercises done incorrectly form-wise are dangerous. Anyone in the “masses” who does not know how to DL, should go slow and steady and probably get a trainer to show them proper form….or sadly they may learn the lesson the hard way about the importance of form. Last point to consider…as one uses good form and progressively lifts heavy, you understand that “exploding” doesn’t necessary mean speed, more power generation….as you are not going to lift very heavy weight that quickly.
@Chris K
On what evidence are you basing your statement – “Only serious injury will result from ballistic type move”?
Personal experience?
Years and years of coaching experience?
Scientific research?
With good form, a fast DL is no more dangerous than a slow tempo DL.
However, with poor form, any speed DL can result in a strong sheer force being applied to the lumbar spine…leading to injuries
Our muscles are designed to move our bodies at different speeds and with different forces and movements.
If you eliminate fast movements, you limit your level of fitness
@Chris K I kind of agree.
With light weights you can explode the weight up (rather call them cleans, or high pulls).
With serious weight yanking a 400 pound barbell might not something your tendons and ligaments will like very much. I think at best this “explosive” thing should be relative. Make sure everything is as tight as possible and start pulling. Get the wheight up is fast as possible (which isn’t really explosive). But there is no reason to make slow reps… with serious weigh ALL my deadlifts look like slow reps.
Wazzup, I think that’s what Mike is saying. Obviously it’s relative and form is of the utmost importance, but if you don’t try to pull that 400+lbs off the floor like it’s going to go through the ceiling, it’s probably a missed lift. Explosive doesn’t necessarily have to mean “fast” in the sense it sounds. It just means get in there and push the earth away from that barbell as fast as possible, relatively speaking. Of course, “explosive” on a 2.5x bodyweight deadlift looks a lot different than explosive on a bodyweight lift.
Cheers
Scott
Let’s not neglect another muscle entirely. The brain is a muscle too. Reading, in the form of research, helps the brain to gain strength. The brain is comprised of 70% fat tissue, which also needs to be maintained. Fish oils on a regular basis can prevent illness to the brain and increase cognitive abilities. So, let’s not forget to exercise the mind.
Nice article, I’m more of a runner myself but looking to maybe add a little muscle mass to my upper body.
I base my conclusion on F=M x A. And on self- evident truth. Chris.
Or as Art Jones (Nautilus inventor) said,”If anyone tells you to move fast while weight training, smile and walk away, for you are talking to a fool.”
Mike OD Reply:
@ Chris – “The first couple of inches in the lower turnaround of both kinds of deadlifts “
Considering a “real” deadlift is putting the weight down and picking it up again…..that point is only applicable to a “straight legged DL” that does not go down to the floor….which this article did not implicate at all.
“Or as Art Jones (Nautilus inventor) said,”If anyone tells you to move fast while weight training, smile and walk away, for you are talking to a fool.””
So any professional coach that teaches an Oly lift is a fool? I think not….but then again that is coming from a guy who invented machine based workouts…which IMO is not optimal if you are concerned about have proper muscle balance, ROM and want to remain injury free.
“People throw their backs out everyday in the shower picking the soap up off the floor too quickly.”
Who are these “people”? The average person who is overweight, inflexible and rounding the lower lumbars with every bend? Find people who know who to DL correctly and then show me their lower back injury rates in the shower…..I’m sure there won’t be many.
Exercises are not dangerous…..exercises done incorrectly are. Do NOT confuse a person jerking a weight up and down rapidly with no attention to form with a recommendation to lift a weight correctly at any pace. Control and form are the 2 most important places to master any movement and any one that is new to exercise movements should get a trainer to show them how to properly do it.
I base my observations by years of making my living as a professional trainer with no lower back injury to clients of any age and ability (and I have had 65+ yr old grandmothers performing a DL safely…and building stronger bones in the process).
The first couple of inches in the lower turnaround of both kinds of deadlifts (strainght and bent legged) is potentally very dangerous. Injury can occur to the spinal area if a person attempts to torque the torso rapidly under heavy stain. Even without heavy weights, whenever the spine is in flexion, this produces closure of the anterior vertebrae opening. This can result in disc tissue degradation. Moving fast excourages spinal flexion and torsion. People throw their backs out eveyday in the shower picking the soap up off the floor too quickly.
Mike…you stole my thunder.
BTW, I would be honored to have Arthur Jones call me a fool. HIT was one of the most useless training programs ever invented.
Mike OD Reply:
@DR – sorry, next time all yours! lol.
@ Chris – I understand your point of telling a person who has no experience in proper exercise form to lift anything with speed and reckless abandon is not going to help them (and probably will cause injury). However stating that anyone else is a “fool” (which I took as to mean myself as the author of the article) to advise such in any other circumstances, is not the most effective way to get that point across.
[...] #33 – The snatch grip deadlift is the best single exercise move you should be doing. Check it out here. [...]
The correct form of deadlifting(and every other exercise known to man) is not unloading the targeted muscles, (save Rest-Pause Protocal) as setting the weight down and then “exploding” into it would do. Even a 3 second rest (unloading) can result in a 50% recoverly of slow twich fibers. The deadlift is a great exercise, maybe the best overall, but there is zero margin for error. And attempting to move quickly is an error, period. Again, F=MA says it all.
Mike OD Reply:
@ Chris – You are still just lumping in “explosion to produce power” with “jerking the weight quickly”. Jerking any weight around without proper tension will produce injury. If saying the word “explosive” makes someone “jerk” the weight….then yes, they should not try it that way. If it makes others who don’t jerk produce power, then they know what they are doing. Force = Mass x Acceleration is true, just like Work = Force x distance and Power = Work/Time…leading to Power = Force x distance/time or Power = Force x Velocity. You want bigger/stronger/powerful muscles…you increase the workload of those muscles with increases in mass, distance and/or acceleration.
I’m not saying you are wrong, you are just not 100% right either….this is not black and white, there are shades of gray. But if you want someone to tell you are completely right, then I suggest going to Westside Barbell and having this discussion with Louis Simmons…see what his thoughts are. I’ve said all I need to say.
Mike – T-Nation has an article today that might help clear this up.
Specifically it discusses the pros and cons of O-lifts specifically looking at injuries & muscle imbalances, etc…
I think that we can apply it to DLs
[...] The Best Muscle Building Exercise…If You Had to Pick One [...]
[...] Snatch Grip DL: The Best Single Muscle Building Exercise [...]
[...] Best Single Muscle Building Exercise [...]
[...] The best single muscle building exercise : Fitness Spotlight. Building Muscle The Fastest Way to Build Muscle [...]
Just coming across this. Good variations on a basic exercise. Have been doin’ personal training for quite awhile and recently returned to some “olympic style” lifting. Appreciate the ideas.
Mike OD Reply:
Yeah, the O-lifts will certainly give you more “bang for your buck” for sure. I only wish I found them in my younger days and didn’t waste so much time doing machines and isolation movements.